Locking wheel nuts

RallyMad · Post by **RallyMad** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 6:15 pm

Hey all, just wanted some feedback from these that bother with locking wheel nuts.

I put some on for a few months but have just taken them off. They looked like crap compared to my other nuts and due to my wheels offset I was always recking the key and the inside of the nuts due to the key not being long enough to get a decent length socket into it. They seem to have been really cheap anyway, as they had gone rusty after a few months.

I just had the thought as well, would a locking nut that is heavier than the others stuff up the wheels balance?

maggsy · Post by **maggsy** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 9:50 pm

i don't reckon they'd screw up with the balance because they're on the hub and they are so close to the centre of turning point. so it would have less effect on the wheel

my wheel nuts are fairly hard to see as well because they sit inside holes. and i have never had a problem with remving them or getting an extesion bar in there.

lwrida · Post by **lwrida** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 10:34 pm

You can buy a lightweight set of locking nuts if your bothered from any car bits seller. Supercheap etc.

RallyMad · Post by **RallyMad** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 6:50 pm

That must be a capitals thing. Couldn't find anything up here. If your talking about something from supercheap I'd say the lightweight would have to be taken with a grain of salt.

My normal nuts I have no problem with as I have a long extension for them. The lock nuts however where different. The key was not long enough to stay inside the longer socket, using a normal socket just strips it.

manofwood · Post by **manofwood** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 6:56 pm

you can buy lug nuts that use a big allen key attachment, sockets cant be used on them at all since the outer surface is circular instead of hex shaped. cost you around $40 plus the key from bridgestone etc

maggsy · Post by **maggsy** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 12:50 am

yeh mine are circular on the outside and they have a special key which is like a wierd flower shape to unlock them.

mr-charisma · Post by **mr-charisma** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 5:26 am

not worth it if someone steals your wheels IMO .. I wouldn't go without them ..

Post by **I8A4RE** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 10:17 am

maggsy wrote:i don't reckon they'd screw up with the balance because they're on the hub and they are so close to the centre of turning point. so it would have less effect on the wheel

my wheel nuts are fairly hard to see as well because they sit inside holes. and i have never had a problem with remving them or getting an extesion bar in there.

AGREE (and the weight differenc would be so small too) and AGREE

RallyMad · Post by **RallyMad** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 5:37 pm

confused now

So your all saying you have these allen key type locking nuts?

Just to clarify as well. My nuts sit inside holes of course

but that isn't the problem. The spokes on my wheels come out from the hub but the nuts are easy to get to with the extension socket that came with them. The lock nuts though had a key that you put into the nut then turned with a socket and because the key isn't long enough to fit deep into the socket it burrs the edges of the nut and the key. I'm guessing I must have just got a dodgy type.

manofwood · Post by **manofwood** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 6:25 pm

not dodgy, just not the right type for your wheels.

i couldnt have anything but lugnuts because the way my wheels were designed prevented any socket from ever being able to enter the bore (smaller diameter than the socket itself) so the only way around was to have lugnuts that used allen key 'socket keys' like your locknut key to be able to undo them.

just think of how you would normally use an allen key compared to sockets and spanners and you'll figure it out.

maggsy · Post by **maggsy** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 9:05 pm

RallyMad wrote:confused now

So your all saying you have these allen key type locking nuts?

it's not an allen key but instead of having special socket that goes over the lock nut, it has a key which slots into the top of the nut and the key fits into an ordinary socket.

pic of locking nut on the wheel

pic of key

the key then fits into the socket

And if it still doesn't reach then u can get an extension bar (as shown)

maggsy · Post by **maggsy** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 9:16 pm

sorry about the dodgy graphics, my camera was about to die so i had to take thee photos quickly without letting it focus, and it was also night which made it worse.

RallyMad · Post by **RallyMad** » Fri Feb 15, 2008 11:19 pm

Thanks for that Maggsy.

That is pretty much exactly what I had. You see how the key only sit shallow in the socket. In mine that is pretty pronounced and so with an extension on it just doesn't lock in properly and then burrs the edges of the key and the lock nut. After a few months on and only taking them off about 3 times they had started to rust were the edges had been burred off. Maybe I'll go to Bridgestone or someone tomorrow and see what is about.

Thanks all.